Anyone had a battery blow up on their car?
Discussion
Evening all
Me and a few mates went up to Santa Pod for the japshow finale today as we hadn't been for years and took the skylines
I've been having trouble with my alternator for a while now but seeing as once it was jumped it seemed to give out 14 odd volts I didn't change it.
I had to jump it this morning and after 5 or so minutes it seemed to run fine with the gauge again reading a little under 14v so carried on up there
About 4 pm we left the pod and I had to jump it again. Jumped it and the volts stayed very low (8ish volts) but after 5 or so minutes it sat at 14 volts again.
Well, after 10 miles we turned on to the M1 and it was chocka block. As I stopped the battery completely exploded with enough force to put a good dent in the bonnet. Bits of battery and fluid everywhere! I sh!t a house brick with the noise!
I can only think the guage in my car was lying and I was putting way too much charge into the battery itself and it got so hot it just exploded, but is there anything else I should look at other than the alternator (and of course the battery)?
Has anyone else had a battery blow up on them? If so, what caused it.
Gutted is an understatement but im just glad I
Wasn't under the bonnet when it did go. Would have maimed me!
Me and a few mates went up to Santa Pod for the japshow finale today as we hadn't been for years and took the skylines
I've been having trouble with my alternator for a while now but seeing as once it was jumped it seemed to give out 14 odd volts I didn't change it.
I had to jump it this morning and after 5 or so minutes it seemed to run fine with the gauge again reading a little under 14v so carried on up there
About 4 pm we left the pod and I had to jump it again. Jumped it and the volts stayed very low (8ish volts) but after 5 or so minutes it sat at 14 volts again.
Well, after 10 miles we turned on to the M1 and it was chocka block. As I stopped the battery completely exploded with enough force to put a good dent in the bonnet. Bits of battery and fluid everywhere! I sh!t a house brick with the noise!
I can only think the guage in my car was lying and I was putting way too much charge into the battery itself and it got so hot it just exploded, but is there anything else I should look at other than the alternator (and of course the battery)?
Has anyone else had a battery blow up on them? If so, what caused it.
Gutted is an understatement but im just glad I
Wasn't under the bonnet when it did go. Would have maimed me!
DeanR32 said:
Evening all
Me and a few mates went up to Santa Pod for the japshow finale today as we hadn't been for years and took the skylines
I've been having trouble with my alternator for a while now but seeing as once it was jumped it seemed to give out 14 odd volts I didn't change it.
I had to jump it this morning and after 5 or so minutes it seemed to run fine with the gauge again reading a little under 14v so carried on up there
About 4 pm we left the pod and I had to jump it again. Jumped it and the volts stayed very low (8ish volts) but after 5 or so minutes it sat at 14 volts again.
Well, after 10 miles we turned on to the M1 and it was chocka block. As I stopped the battery completely exploded with enough force to put a good dent in the bonnet. Bits of battery and fluid everywhere! I sh!t a house brick with the noise!
I can only think the guage in my car was lying and I was putting way too much charge into the battery itself and it got so hot it just exploded, but is there anything else I should look at other than the alternator (and of course the battery)?
Has anyone else had a battery blow up on them? If so, what caused it.
Gutted is an understatement but im just glad I
Wasn't under the bonnet when it did go. Would have maimed me!
Had one start bubbling and smoking when the voltage reg on the alternator packed upMe and a few mates went up to Santa Pod for the japshow finale today as we hadn't been for years and took the skylines
I've been having trouble with my alternator for a while now but seeing as once it was jumped it seemed to give out 14 odd volts I didn't change it.
I had to jump it this morning and after 5 or so minutes it seemed to run fine with the gauge again reading a little under 14v so carried on up there
About 4 pm we left the pod and I had to jump it again. Jumped it and the volts stayed very low (8ish volts) but after 5 or so minutes it sat at 14 volts again.
Well, after 10 miles we turned on to the M1 and it was chocka block. As I stopped the battery completely exploded with enough force to put a good dent in the bonnet. Bits of battery and fluid everywhere! I sh!t a house brick with the noise!
I can only think the guage in my car was lying and I was putting way too much charge into the battery itself and it got so hot it just exploded, but is there anything else I should look at other than the alternator (and of course the battery)?
Has anyone else had a battery blow up on them? If so, what caused it.
Gutted is an understatement but im just glad I
Wasn't under the bonnet when it did go. Would have maimed me!
When I was an apprentice, the other (even dumber) apprentice was cleaning the terminals with a file, he decided to do them both at the same time. I heard a big bang and turned round to see him covered in battery acid, we hosed him down sharpish and he was fine, but his overalls began "rotting" over the next couple of days.
The usual way to blow up a lead acid battery is to short it so you get massive current draw from it. I would have thought that the circuit the alternator is on would be fused, which should make that impossible.
The highest current circuit is the starter circuit, I don't know if they're typically fused at all. I suppose it's possible that your starter has an internal short?
I've only ever seen it happen as a result of someone dropping a spanner across the terminals, and yes, it makes a hell of a mess.
The highest current circuit is the starter circuit, I don't know if they're typically fused at all. I suppose it's possible that your starter has an internal short?
I've only ever seen it happen as a result of someone dropping a spanner across the terminals, and yes, it makes a hell of a mess.
redgriff500 said:
I've seen one explode when a mechanic was trying to boost start it.
Acid everywhere including his eyes - he was very lucky he wasn't working alone.
Copoious amounts of water later, all was fine.
Jeez, very lucky fella.Acid everywhere including his eyes - he was very lucky he wasn't working alone.
Copoious amounts of water later, all was fine.
I've experienced a few over the years, as mentioned they do go well!
I had a massive lorry battery blow up in my face years ago, when I was 17. I worked on a charter yacht at the time as was desperately trying to get the main generator to start so we could set off on a charter - the only source of income for the massive money hole that a large sea craft usually is. As I touched the last jump lead on the whole thing literally blew up, the top casing disintegrated into my face, leaving lots of little blood spotss and I was deaf for the next 5-6 hours. Luckily no acid seemed to spray on me.
I learned my lesson that day and wince whenever I see anyone connect the last jump onto the battery. It should always be on the engine block away from the battery.
Anyway, it sounds to me like your battery is dead, maybe a warped plate or something (which is common if it's allowed to go flat but you still try to crank) which effectively lowers the capacity of the battery, so even if the alternator is working correctly, it'll still cook it.
I learned my lesson that day and wince whenever I see anyone connect the last jump onto the battery. It should always be on the engine block away from the battery.
Anyway, it sounds to me like your battery is dead, maybe a warped plate or something (which is common if it's allowed to go flat but you still try to crank) which effectively lowers the capacity of the battery, so even if the alternator is working correctly, it'll still cook it.
Lead acid batteries produce hydrogen and oxygen when charging, it's an explosive mixture. If the battery voltage was erratic it may have had an internal fault which caused a spark...
I once had a freshly charged battery explode in my face when I connected jump leads. Spent a week in hospital with a lacerated cornea.
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